Lonato Moran-Allen, a three-year-old Caucasian male, tragically lost his life on the evening of October 22, 2014, in Ronan, Montana, less than three weeks before his fourth birthday. The young boy, known affectionately as "Nato," was at a residence between Ronan and St. Ignatius when he sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the torso from a small-caliber handgun. Emergency services were called, and Lonato was rushed to St. Luke Community Hospital in Ronan, where he ultimately succumbed to his injury.
The initial investigation into the shooting brought forth a distressing and perplexing narrative. At the hospital, Galen Hawk, a 26-year-old man who resided in the same house as Lonato, initially told authorities that the child had accidentally shot himself. However, the results of an autopsy soon contradicted this claim, revealing that Lonato had been shot in the back, a wound inconsistent with a self-inflicted injury on a child of his age.
When confronted with this evidence, Hawk's story changed.
Under further questioning, Hawk admitted to his role in the fatal incident. He informed investigators that he and Lonato had been engaged in a game they called "gun tag." During this "game," the three-year-old was playing with a toy gun, while Hawk was handling a real. 380 pistol. Hawk, who admitted to being "buzzed" after drinking whiskey and Mike's Hard Lemonade, claimed he believed his firearm was unloaded because the spare magazine was still in his pocket. As Lonato ran down a hallway shooting his toy gun at him, Hawk raised his pistol and fired, striking the young boy in the back. Authorities stated that Hawk was not a relative of the victim.
Following his confession, Galen Hawk was arrested and charged with negligent homicide. Bail was set at $100,000. Initially, in November 2014, Hawk pleaded not guilty to the charge. However, in January 2015, he changed his plea to guilty. On July 29, 2015, nine months after the tragic death of Lonato Moran-Allen, Galen Hawk was sentenced in Lake County District Court. He was convicted of negligent homicide and received a 10-year sentence to the Montana State Prison. In addition to this, he was given a consecutive 13-month sentence for a prior DUI conviction.
